In the past, the use of 3D printers was somehow limited to creating scalemodels in engineering and related fields. You do not really see these printersmuch in other fields because of their prohibitive costs. However, advancementsin this printing technology have developed in such a way that there are now 3Dprinters that cost a lot cheaply than they used to. The price of these machineshas placed them within the reach of wider audiences.
Included in these audiences are practitioners in the medical field. Theavailability of 3D printers has become invaluable for doctors because thesemachines help them do their jobs with a higher degree of precision. Thesemachines make them more able to treat their patients and save lives.
How are 3D printers helpful in the medical field? Here are three examples ofhow they are used in medicine.
1. Surgery. The use of 3D printing in surgery has paved the way for moreaccuracy in complicated operations, with a greater degree of success. Forexample, if a surgeon needs to remove a tumor from a patient but there is ahuge chance that he or she will hit a nerve or an artery in doing so, thesurgeon can create a 3D model of the tumor from the patient’s CT scans using a3D printer. The surgeon can then practice on the model before working on thepatient. In this way, the surgeon will be able to make the necessary incisionswith confidence. The possible harm or side effects of the surgery can also beavoided.
2. Facial reconstructive surgery. When a patient has suffered considerabledamage to his or her facial features, reconstructive surgeons now make use of3D printers to create models out of which the prosthetics or the artificialskin will be made. What reconstructive surgeons do is to create a map of thepatient’s face on special software and using images taken with a 3D camera.From this facial mask, the surgeons will make a mask that will then guide themin conducting the reconstructive surgery.
3. Tissue and organ engineering. Researchers involved in tissue engineeringand artificial organ construction have now turned to 3D printers to synthesizeentire tissues and organs. Bioengineers do this by creating scaffolds that willsupport the living cells they will generate. The scaffolds are made on machinesthat work using inkjet technology or fused deposition modeling. According toresearchers, 3D printing will make organ transplants easier because organs and tissuescan be generated on demand. It can also lessen organ rejection among patientsbecause the living cells used in engineering these organs can be harvested fromthe patient’s body itself.
The use of 3D printers outside the fields of engineering may sound likesomething out of a science fiction story. But life has a way of imitating art,and soon enough we may be able to use 3D printers at home for even smallmedical emergencies and first aid.
John C Arkin from printcountry the contributor of PrintCountry Articles. Moreinformation on the subject is at Three Practical Uses of 3D Printers in the Medical Field, and relatedresources can be found at HP Printer Cartridges.